ELEPHANT SHREWS...Ranger induction and I learn more about this fascinating creature



A world map and distances travelled by Peter and Galen
to Mareja to research...see drawing

The first day of field exploration for Galen and Peter and it began with an introduction to the Rangers.  The shrew mission was explained with maps and images, drawn with battery charcoal on the terrace floor.  They recognise the long nosed creature, and know of two ‘types’ locally Mpili larger and russet-brown, this is the exciting one a Rynchocyon sp. and another known as Rete smaller and later identified as Petrodromus tetradactylus (Four-toed Elephant Shrew). 

Four Rangers troupe off to show Galen and Peter some Mpilii and Rete habitat. An hour or so later and they return having seen two elephants but no shrew.  The name Elephant Shrew is somewhat misleading as it is not related at all to the Shrew however it is an ancient relative of the Elephant belonging to an order of mammals that emanate only from Africa the Afrotheria. 

Afrotheria include a wonderful  and diverse mix of other relatives, dugongs (seacow), aardvark, hyrax, golden moles and elephants.  There are 17 known species of Elephant Shrew (also called Sengi the Swahili name), very few and they are only found in East and North Africa and devoid from the Sahara and West.  They are best described as a cross between a miniature antelope and anteater.  I also learn from Galen they are monogamous, territorial and nurture their young by the ‘female absentee system’ which means the mother only feeds them once a day.  But her one or two young are born fully formed and ready to run and defend themselves.  Galen is one of only a handful of specialists who study Elephant Shrews, surprising considering their unique and fascinating ways.

After the first foray into the bush our scientists are full of renewed vigour, I think heartened by the signs of life and potential Sengi habitat.

We also see some wildlife....D and I go on a small drive to the damn and then beyond.  On returning guinea fowl and baboon are making a din.  We stop and there is a Serval about 50 m ahead with its long spotted and striped tail flicking as it saunters off along the track.  D manages to fix its face in the binoculars.  A clear view of a red data species

Start of Operation Shrew: Peter and Galen arrive to research Elephant Shrews or Sengi

It was wonderful to see Peter, safely arrived with bags of mammal equipment and ready for his second visit to Mareja and meet Galen from Calafornia Academy of Science.  Galen commented that he was entrusting himself to a 21 year old from UK and trekking across the world to an unknown location with his unknown companion.and he thought perhaps I am mad!  In fact he was right to trust his instinct, they make a fantastic research duo.  And wry, warm, wise companions for us.  We stocked up on additional kit such as cotton wool, chicken wire etc much food and set off.

There were a number of particularly intense and frenzied vegetable  buying stops on the road, enhanced by the night and general air of Nipper (the local schnapps).  A sea of hands, faces and baskets full of various goods filled every lookout point and were accompanied by much shouting.  Many things bought, tomatoes, cabbage, manuka, mysterious beans, matapa (a green leaf), aubergines.  Every last crack in the already packed boot of the Nissan filled with packets of damp, awkwardly shaped but fresh food. 

Whenever I turned round to feed these purchases backwards I was greeted by a view of our 3 companions all different ages and heights but all conveying a sense that they wanted to be there amidst the growing cargo.  Maria (Mareja cleaner and helper) was perched highest in the middle seat particularly enjoying the ride despite sitting on a roll of chicken wire.  Peter managed to find guava at one of these stops and it turned out to be a wonderful, exotic addition to the only two fruit we found, a rounded yellow banana variety and unripe oranges (on day two of eating it more light was shed than usual in the dining room and to my surprise I discovered it was an intense sugary pink colour, dotted amongst the yellow and orange it looked beautiful by candlelight.)

In the Mareja village a very warm welcome from everyone despite the dark.  I am getting more used to unpacking by the flicker of torch light, you mostly do it by feel, texture and shape.

My first stop was the new ecohouse to see what damage the big rains had done.  But it is hardly scathed, a few termite trails over the lime finishes and a bat or two in the bamboo eves, but in fact it looks homely and effectively hand crafted.  Peter and Galen draw straws to sleep there or in the ensuite with its own extended (huge) colony of bats in the ceiling, hidden but apparent. 

Peter gets the ecoroom, the Swallow or Red Room.  The other ecoroom the Hornbill or Green Room is still not quite finished it is suffering from the low-grade imported plumbing fittings.  I have come armed with ½”flexi pipe bought from the Plumb Centre on the

Botley Road, Oxford

, and hope it will solve ALL problems.  (However things are rarely compatible here despite ever effort to measure and shop wisely – the thread, washers or some fine detail usually let you down.)  A DIY aside.

10th JUNE stranded in Niarobi - my plans burst like a water balloon

Am full of self-pity today, my first year wedding anniversary.  This entry could be regarded as an abuse of blogging protocol - no wildlife and no bush but perhaps writing into the blog abyss might make me feel a little better.

I arrived in Nairobi early yesterday and then after some waiting discovered my connecting flight was cancelled, no explanation just not going.  Feeling already rather feeble after 3 weeks of illness and ladened with all sorts of packing, in 4 cumbersome bags together weighting 40 kg, I just melted.  It was all so carefully planned I would arrive the night before our wedding anniversary having not seen each other (or had the benefit of his nursing skills) for nearly a month.  There was nothing to do but cry publicly and unreservedly. Everything went pop - like a water balloon, me and my plans.

Chris a friend very kindly offered me a bed.  Today he has had to go and now here I am alone in Nairobi with the thick air of traffic fumes and the sound of cars and children playing.  Sometimes days just have to pass. 

Tomorrow I should be off - now that two days have been lost, rather alarmingly I will have to go more or less straight into the bush.  I usually find the intensity of Mozambique overwhelming and need to acclimatise before facing nature in the raw.

Our guests Peter and Galen will arrive before me, the scientists leading operation Elephant Shrew.  Ha, there we go, not quite as I had planned.  Hope to be full of renewed energy when I next put finger to keypad.

WARNING HEALTH NOTE: Tropical Medicine Unit...in Oxford

The papers are full of discussions about the NHS - and the great variety of performance across the hospital landscape against the decision to freeze funding. I can't begin to offer you a rounded view but I do have a small insight from my own recent experience.

My health has been boringly overwhelming and after recovering from pleurisy I suddenly had an excruciating headache and very high temperature that resulted in being sent to the Tropical Medicine Unit in Oxford. (And I have now had to postpone my flight again to Moz.)

We were greeted by sweet but distracted nurses, the usual morass of grey corridors, strip lighting and that all consuming smell of cheap disinfectant - and when we arrived at 10 am on Friday all the doctors were in a meeting.  So despite having been prepared for my arrival, the greatest concern being cerebral malaria, I had to wait.

Then an hour later large quantities of tests taken and much examination by two nice doctors and I felt monitored.  I explain that I would rather go home to wait for the results - which have been marked 'urgent', sent to the lab and should take no more than 2 hours.

At home I wait and no call, we ring and are told the doctor will ring us if there is anything to report. I am battling with such a bad headache and temp just below 39C, my really wonderful GP Dr Curtis comes round and gives me a prescription for stronger pain killers, codeine/paracetamol.

The next day we ring again, and are told once again that the doc will ring us.  Eventually he does ring, a different doctor, and says quite calmly...the malaria results were not processed. 

Arh what does that mean?  You lost them? 

No, no absolutely not they were just not processed?  And they expire after 24 hours, so you need to come back for more tests. 

There is one comfort, I couldn't have cerebral malaria and survive this, so by default it is not that!  My great dislike of hospitals is being tested (re-tested). 

In Mozambique health care is basic to an alarming degree, unless you have malaria and pay to go to the small private clinic in Pemba, where you have a blood test and a result in 30 minutes (and Cuban doctors prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic.)

On this point we may be worlds apart.  In the British National Health System 'loosing' seems to be a greater crime than just 'not processing'!  Two days later I was processed and I don't have malaria (although they did add that I should have three consecutive tests to be 95% sure).  But next time I or those around me have suspected Malaria lets hope it is in Mozambique!

PS - just to reinforce the varied health 'landscape' here, my GP is quite exceptional.  The landscape analogy is proving problematic I don't like a flat landscape (e..g Norfolk) - better stop my wonderings, blogging with a temp may not be a good thing.

SUCCESS - permit issued and small mammal research can commence

That little paperclip symbol attached to an email can offer such joy.  Today it was an attached collecting and export license for small mammal research at Mareja.  Authorised nationally by Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and the Natural History Museum issued by their Director.  Many thanks to Snr Guissamulo for facilitating this process.  Now we can forge ahead with this planned research and welcome Peter and Galen on to the reserve in June.  Very happy day.

News flash: Hasso's babies are dug out by Constantin!

Here they are, four in all and rather like over fed velvet-clad slugs.

Constantin couldn't bear the suspense any longer and dug them out of the fox den Hasso had created.

So Anne wins but I learn more about running a betting 'book'...there should be no room for interpretation.  Are they black or do they have a brown hue?...if so Manuel also wins.  (If you haven't read the earlier entry none of this will make any sense.)

THANK YOU to my new Followers on May Day

...a full 20 (including myself and one hidden profile!)  Thank you so much. 

I am soon off to Africa again after our extended stay.  The winter here has quite passed and the rain there is slowing...and more importantly the Swallows have arrived! A sure sign that we should fly back.  Though I find it so hard to leave England as it bursts into life.  The energy, fervour and colours of Mozambique are thrilling and challenging but... 

on May Day, as bluebells appear in carpets, white hawthorn replaces pink cherry blossom and nightingales begin to sing, for me nothing compares to the green and intricate beauty of our isle.  And it makes me want to watch Morris dancers and drink yet more tea. 

I discovered at the weekend that my love of Morris dancing may be genetic, they originated over 500 years ago from the Cotswolds and reach their peak of skipping, whooping and jangling around whitsun - so May is their busiest month.  Sadly they are a male phenomena, so I can only watch.

HAPPY May Day.